"Claudia Nygaard’s music invitingly straddles the fence between country and folk with a band sound that is decidedly unplugged and artfully laid-back in support of her sensually lyrical alto. And then, there’s the matter of her songs-- that rival the likes of Guy Clark or Ian Tyson in their plainspoken, memoir-like quality, rich with personalized images and a resonant point-of-view.” Sing Out Magazine.

CLAUDIA NYGAARD

Performing at Crossroads Music Company

Saturday June 1st in Winnsboro

Armed with her latest folk, roots, and americana chart topping CD, one of the Kerrville Folk Festival's favorite singer/songwriters will be performing in Winnsboro Saturday night June 1st at the Crossroads Music Company.

Claudia Nygaard is a former winner of the prestigious "Grassy Hill - New Folk" songwriting competition, and she has gone on to grace the mainstage at both the Folk Festival itself, and the fall Wine & Music Festival. Described by reviewers as “Will Rogers without the rope” for her affable connection with an audience, Nygaard is an engaging performer with a quick wit and a fearless emotional availability. The stories she weaves in between the songs are as captivating as the songs themselves, and Nygaard is an exceptional songwriter. Prior to making her living as a recording artist, Claudia worked for a while as a staff songwriter on Nashville's famed Music Row.

Her voice has been compared to "amber honey" by Chicago DJ Rich Warren. That voice would be reason enough for the success of her latest CD "Let The Storm Roll In", but all twelve little slices of Americana on this recording project have received airplay, giving further evidence to her skill as a writer. "Storm" is a collection of songs that range from scrappy to sensual and humorous to heartfelt. The CD received high praise from both domestic and international press, garnering five stars from Americana benchmark Maverick Magazine, and enviable comparisons to Guy Clark and Ian Tyson from folk standard bearer Sing Out Magazine.

Touted as "one of the finest singer/songwriter/storyteller collections in recent memory" (Wildy's World), and "one of Americana music’s hidden gems” (In Tune, The Daily News), the CD has cross-platformed onto three separate radio charts. It climbed to #1 on the Roots Country Chart, #8 on the Folk DJ Chart, and # 26 on the Roots Music Americana Chart. The album also landed on the Folk Radio Chart's Top 100 CDs of the year for 2011.

"LET THE STORM ROLL IN" REVIEWS:

"Stunning! The whole disc is a sheer delight... this is exceptionally good." FIVE out of five stars! Maverick Magazine

“Claudia Nygaard’s music invitingly straddles the fence between country and folk with a band sound that is decidedly unplugged and artfully laid-back in support of her sensually lyrical alto. And then, there’s the matter of her songs-- that rival the likes of Guy Clark or Ian Tyson in their plainspoken, memoir-like quality, rich with personalized images and a resonant point-of-view.” Gary Von Tersch, Sing Out Magazine.

"The immigration saga that accompanies “Big Country” and the naiveté of youth recalled in “J.C.” are relayed from both a tender and touching perspective. Yet Nygaard’s also got a scrappy side to her as well. Her sympathetic homage to Miss Kitty of TV’s “Gunsmoke” fame is absolutely hilarious and her plea to a reticent lover in the song simply titled “Say It” conveys both desperation and desire without resorting to self-pity. Nygaard is a knowing soul and Let The Storm Roll In offers a torrent of wisdom and reflection." Lee Zimmerman, No Depression

“Nothing short of amazing… Comprised of a dozen equally excellent tunes, “Let The Storm Roll In” reveals Nygaard to be one of Americana music’s hidden gems.” Jeffrey Sisk, In Tune, The Daily News

"Self-produced, with hand-selected songs from her vast catalog, Nygaard may have quite accidentally created and released one of the finest singer/songwriter/storyteller collections in recent memory." Wildy Haskell, Wildy's World